Molly Reminds Us How Easy It Is To Make A Difference This World Food Day

25 September 2012

This October 16th is World Food Day, an international day marking the challenge of hunger in the world and how together we can fight it. As the global community comes together to raise awareness about hunger, we could talk about how hunger is the world’s greatest solvable problem. We could talk about how it keeps kids from reaching their full potential or how solving it boosts economies and builds a more stable world. Instead, we’d like to tell you about one teenage girl we know. Her name is Molly.

Molly is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives in a slum of Nairobi, Kenya called Mathare. It’s one of the poorest places in the world. Thanks to the daily WFP meal she receives at school, however, she has the opportunity to learn.

You may have met Molly before. Last year, we gave her a small pink flip cam to film her daily life. In the glimpse of her world she shared with us, it was clear that Molly is one smart girl – and she has spirit. She showed us her friends and favorite teacher; the candle she lights every night to do her homework. Every morning, she filmed the same red bowl filled to the brim with a nutritious mix of rice and beans. This is the meal she receives from WFP at school, and it’s clear that it’s a highlight of her day. It gives her the energy to change her world in ways both small and huge.

This World Food Day, we couldn’t think of a better story to share with you than Molly’s. We know hunger can often seem like too immense of a problem to really make a difference. There are nearly a billion hungry people in the world today. That’s 1 in 7 people who go to bed hungry – every night. Molly shares with you in her own words just how much small actions add up. It costs only US$0.25 to give students like Molly a meal every day. And like Molly’s energy, the impact spreads: a school meal means more kids come to school and have the energy to learn once they’re in the classroom. More students in school means the next generation will be better equipped to solve tomorrow’s problems.

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Hunger can be eliminated in our lifetimes

This requires comprehensive efforts to ensure that every man, woman and child enjoy their Right to Adequate Food; women are empowered; priority is given to family farming; and food systems everywhere are sustainable and resilient.